Corn Getting A Bad Rap?

[Maine farmer]

We feed our dairy cows a rather precise ration with home grown forage being the base. Our forage of choice is a mix of perrenial grasses suited to our climate and soil types, and the soil fertility is also monitered and balanced as precisely as feasable. Cow health is the highest priority in producing quality milk, and the econmics of dairy farming are tied directly to cow health, and a properly balanced ration is crucial to maintaining that health.

 

Recently we were looking for a cost-effective substitute for corn meal as an energy suppliment in the dairy cow's ration, and in discussing solutions with our feed sales rep/dairy nutritionist, she mentioned that citrus pulp had the same energy as corn meal, and cost much less. After much thought, we ordered six tons of citrus pulp, and began feeding it in the total mixed ration at a rate equal to the rate we had been feeding corn meal. It was a bad choice. Citrus pulp contains more fiber than corn meal, and was more filling to the cows, so they ate less of the ration, and milk production fell rapidly and significantly. After futher discussion with the sales rep/nutitionist, we learned that although citrus pulp has the same energy as corn meal, it has less carbohydrate. She further stated that corn is the best source of carbohydrate that there is available, even at current elevated prices (barley and wheat prices are also high these days). We made the switch back to corn meal, and the increase in production was as rapid as the fall had been.

 

Corn gets a lot bad press, and from my experience in feeding dairy cows for most of my life, it is mostly undeserved. I would say that it is not the product that is bad, but how it gets used.

[Jorge1907]

She certainly misinformed - citrus pulp is lower in protein than corn and has less readily available carbohydrate. Both cow and rumen microorganisms need protein in feed. Whatever the ultimate energetic potettial, citrus pulp alone is poor feed. The stuff has also been associated with some direct toxicology (see:http://jvdi.org/cgi/reprint/12/3/269.pdf ).